Key facts
- Vietnam began a mass trial of 65 defendants on September 28, 2026, in Hanoi.
- The defendants, including medical staff and patients, are accused of a scheme to falsify psychiatric diagnoses.
- The alleged fraud aimed to help criminals evade or reduce prison sentences.
- The Central Forensic Psychiatric Institute and other facilities were implicated in the scheme.
- Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan ordered stricter oversight of psychiatric facilities following the scandal.
HANOI -- Vietnam commenced a mass trial on September 28, 2026, against 65 defendants, including medical staff and patients, accused of participating in a scheme to falsify psychiatric diagnoses to help criminals evade prison sentences. The trial is being held at the Hanoi People's Court.
The alleged scheme involved convicts paying bribes for fake psychiatric assessments that would lessen their sentences. The Central Forensic Psychiatric Institute, with branches in Hanoi and Thanh Hoa, and other facilities are implicated in the scandal. Criminal offenses uncovered include unlawful possession and use of narcotics, offering and accepting bribes, bribery brokerage, and abuse of position and authority.
Investigators discovered that a couple, Nguyễn Thị Mai Anh and Lê Văn Đông, who were undergoing compulsory treatment at the Central Forensic Psychiatric Institute, frequently left the facility to commit crimes and colluded with staff and leadership to falsify records. Mai Anh allegedly bribed institute leaders and staff since 2016 to obtain favorable psychiatric assessments, gaining illicit profits amounting to billions of dong.
Following revelations of these scandals, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan issued an urgent directive on July 11, demanding tighter oversight and stricter adherence to regulations for all psychiatric hospitals and medical facilities. She emphasized that medical record summaries and mental health assessments must not be exploited to help criminal defendants evade or reduce criminal liability. The Minister stressed that facility heads would be held fully accountable for any misconduct within their units and must ensure the safety and security of medical staff.